| This groundbreaking leadership research by has | | | | "I never would have had a chance to get into college |
| received extensive endorsements and enthusiastic | | | | were it not for the V5 Program." |
| reviews from well-known prominent business, political, | | | | He continued, "Despite being a poor student, I did well |
| and academic leaders who either participated in the | | | | enough on my [Navy] Air Corps entrance exams to |
| study or reviewed the research findings. You will | | | | be accepted into the Navy's pre-flight training program." |
| discover the proven success habits and secrets of | | | | He entered Millsap College in July of 1944, as part of |
| people who, in spite of difficult or life threatening | | | | the Navy's V5 program for Navy pilots. It was while he |
| challenges shaped their own destiny to become | | | | was attending Millsap that he met and started dating |
| successful, effective leaders. The full results of this | | | | Jean Abernathy. |
| research will be presented in the upcoming book by Dr. | | | | Zig was transferred to the University of South Carolina |
| Howard Edward Haller titled "Leadership: View from | | | | by the Navy. When World War II ended Zig continued |
| the Shoulders of Giants." | | | | to attend the University of South Carolina, selling |
| The nine initial prominent successful leaders who | | | | sandwiches to other students to pay his expenses, |
| overcame adversity that were interviewed included: | | | | and continued to court Jean Abernathy by mail. Zig |
| Dr. Tony Bonanzino, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, Monzer | | | | and Jean were married on Thanksgiving Day in 1946. |
| Hourani, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, Dr. John Malone, | | | | The summer after they were married, Zig's sandwich |
| Larry Pino, U.S. Army Major General Sid Shachnow, Dr. | | | | business died off. The couple began to struggle |
| Blenda Wilson, and Zig Ziglar. | | | | financially. Zig got a job selling expensive cookware |
| The data from the above nine research participants | | | | through dinner parties, but he still had his "inferiority |
| was materially augmented by seven other successful | | | | complex." |
| leaders who overcame adversity including: Jack | | | | That was the case until an important talk and words |
| Canfield, William Draper III, Mark Victor Hansen, J. | | | | of encouragement from a respected mentor became |
| Terrence Lanni, Angelo Mozilo, Dr. Nido Qubein, and Dr. | | | | the pivotal event that changed Zig's entire life. Ziglar |
| John Sperling. | | | | proved his mentor right, moving from failure to |
| Additionally, five internationally known and respected | | | | success. But Zig also faced many obstacles as a field |
| leadership scholars offered their reviews of the | | | | manager, obstacles that were to test him in the |
| leadership research findings including: Dr. Ken | | | | extreme. |
| Blanchard, Jim Kouzes, Dr. John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, | | | | After his sales and sales management experiences, |
| and Dr. Meg Wheatley. | | | | Ziglar made a career change, focusing his attention on |
| This is a short biography of one of the principal | | | | becoming an accomplished public speaker. He had not |
| participants who generously contributed their time and | | | | been attending church regularly, but he returned to it, |
| insight for this important research into the phenomenon | | | | becoming a devoted Christian. He described the |
| of how prominent successful leaders overcome | | | | importance of his embracing Christianity: |
| adversity and obstacles. | | | | "My greatest help came in the form of my faith when I |
| This Zig Ziglar's story: | | | | became a Christian on July 4, 1972. As I came to |
| Zig Ziglar was born in 1926, in what he termed "very | | | | realize how much God loved me, as a result I loved |
| modest circumstances" to a family that was "financially | | | | myself more and respected myself more." |
| challenged in many ways." He was "the tenth of | | | | "Again, here was a factor in my life that made a major |
| twelve children born to a family living in rural Mississippi." | | | | difference [his mentor Cavett Roberts]". Cavett |
| He lost his father at the age of five. Zig worked from | | | | Roberts, founder of the National Speakers Association |
| an early age to support his family. He shared that he | | | | (NSA), who was one of Zig's many mentors, |
| "had what was known as an inferiority complex." Until | | | | persuaded Zig to put his message in writing. He did so. |
| "Judge" Ziglar's untimely death, he worked hard in a | | | | In fact, Zig has now authored twenty-three books on |
| very depressed economy to provide for his large | | | | leadership, personal growth, sales, faith, family, and |
| family. Zig said his Papa "was a thoughtful man | | | | success. |
| possessed of great confidence. Everyone respected | | | | I have known Zig Ziglar for many years and attended |
| his intelligence, fairness, and judgment." | | | | several of his training sessions. One of Zig's trademark |
| Two days after his father's funeral, Zig's 14-month-old | | | | lines sums up his attitude perfectly: "You can have |
| baby sister also died. Zig's mother decided to move | | | | everything in life you want if you will just help enough |
| the family to the "big city" of Yazoo City on the | | | | other people get what they want." |
| Mississippi River delta. His mother was well-versed in | | | | For as Paul Harvey is fond of saying "and now for the |
| the Bible and regularly quoted from it. "My mother was | | | | rest of the story" you should read Zig's wonderful and |
| famous for her 'one minute sermons.'" | | | | uplifting book "Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar" |
| Zig worked his way through school, beginning with | | | | (2002). |
| elementary school and continuing through his college | | | | Copyright 2006 © Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D. |
| years. In 1943, Zig joined the Naval Air Corps. Zig said, | | | | |